Sir Alan Duncan, UK Minister of State for Europe and the Americas, announced plans for a UK Season in Georgia at the 5th Wardrop Strategic Dialogue. The season, titled New Horizons, will take place from September to December 2019 and will showcase the very best of British culture, education, business and sport. It will be a celebration of the rich relations between the UK and Georgia.
The UK Season will include events, festivals, film screenings, workshops and master classes, as well as discussions and lectures on music, film and performing arts. Already confirmed is the first-ever exhibition in Georgia of a remarkable coin from the time of King David the Builder, which depicts the renowned Georgian King himself. The coin will be loaned by the British Museum and is the centrepiece of a special exhibition to be curated by British and Georgian curators at the National Museum of Georgia. The British Council will lead on the cultural strand of the UK Season in Georgia.
The UK Season is being designed with a particular focus on inspiring 18 to 35-year-olds and women in Georgia.
Zaza Purtseladze, Director, British Council South Caucasus and Georgia, comments ‘Young people will be at the heart of the Season. We will create a Youth Board to bring together young Georgians to help guide programming so that it responds to their needs and interests.’
Opportunities will be created for some of Georgia’s talented disabled artists to showcase their work to new audiences and build cultural connections. This will support the mainstreaming of work by disabled artists and professionals, making access to the creative sector open to all – during the UK Season and beyond.
Commenting on the announcement of the UK/Georgia: New Horizons Season, Justin McKenzie Smith, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Georgia said: ‘With this UK Season in Georgia, we want to build on our close, long-standing friendship to create new horizons for the future. I am very excited that we will introduce Georgian audiences to some of the best that the UK has to offer in culture, education, business and sport.”